Bill and letter file



Bill an e erie.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE V. NAUERTH, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

BILL AND LETTER FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,632, dated March 16, 1880.

Application filed June 30, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE. V. NAUERTH, of Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Bill and Letter Files; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an improved system and appliances for loosely filing letters and other mercantile papers, so as to keep them free from dust, and so that they are notliable to be misplaced, damaged, or soiled, and whereby they are indexed in such a manner that any letter or other paper may be inserted or withdrawn with precision and dispatch.

The devices for carrying out my system consist of First. A case preferably made to represent a book, but having the back hinged at one side to form a door or lid, by which access is had to the interior of the case. A spring or fastening of any suitable construction is employed to hold the lid either open or closed,

as desired. When the lid is closed the case is so tightly shut that dust cannot get in to soil the contents.

Secondly. I employ a number of folios of rather stout Manila or other fine paper that will not break in folding nor wear out in handling, made of a size to fit easily into'the case above referred to. These folies are disconnected, so that when a series of them is placed in the case any one may be withdrawn without removing or disturbing the rest. Each of these folios represents one or two letters of the alphabet, which letter is marked on its margin; and just below or on a line with this letter is a band of color, embracing the back of the folio, so that when the case is filled with a set of folios the color-band of each is visible, but the letter is not.

Thirdly. I arrange the color-bands of a set or series of folios in such a manner that no two of them are in the same horizontal plane when the folios are in the case, so that, were ahorizontal line drawn from each color-band and extended out upon the reverse side of the lid of the case when opened, the series of these lines would be equidistant.

Fourthly. I arrange an index upon the reverse side of the lid of the case, consisting of a column of letters alphabetically arranged in such a manner that each letter is on a horizontal line with the color-band of the folio having the same letter on its margin.

From this general description it can be readily understood that to withdraw any predetermined folio from the case it is only neces sary to glance horizontally from the letter on the index which corresponds with that on the desired folio and to take out the folio whose coloi band is on a line with said letter. This can be done invariably, whether the folios are arranged in order or not.

The letters, orders, receipts, bills, or other printed or written papers whatsoever to be filed are placed loosely in their respective folios, and are thus filed for ready reference, and

kept free from dust or whatever might tend to injure them.

Whenever the folios are distended by their contents so as to fill the case, I remove them in a set and place them in a second case, which I designate as a transfer-file, and which is any suitable box, made to represent a book, if desired, and having its back properly marked to designate its contents.

By refilling the first case with a fresh set of folios the same system of filing is continued.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved filing-case closed. Fig. 2 represents the same case opened, and shows the folios in place. Fig.3 represents one of the folios detached. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the transfer-file with a set of folios placed therein. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the transfer-file, exhibiting one manner of marking it to designate its contents.

Like letters of reference refer to corresponding parts in all the figures.

A, Figs. 1 and 2, represents an oblong rectangular box made of heavy tar-board, or thin pieces of wood properly secured together and left open at one end. For ordinary business purposes, as a letter-file, this box is eleven inches long, eightand one-half inches deep, and three inches wide, inside measurement, and is designed to stand on end when in use, as represented in Figsland 2. To one edge of the open end is hinged,in any suitable or convenient manner, a lid or cover, B, which in this instance is made to represent a book-back. This cover when closed fits snugly over the open end of the case, and prevents any dust from getting into it. If desired, and I consider it preferable, the box thus formed is covered with leather and other finishing material, so as to represent a bound volume, as shown in Fig. 1. It is desirable that the lid should be kept closed by some suitable fastening, and to this end I have applied a pin or stud, a, to the top of the case in the manner represented, and have pivoted a hook, b, upon the top of the case, as shown, which, by being turned to engage the pin, holds the cover tightly shut when it is closed, as in Fig. 1, and which, when thrown out of engagement, permits the cover to be opened in the position represented in Fig. 2. Instead of this fastening being located on the top of the case, as illustrated, it may be on the side of the same, or any other suitable fastening may be employed.

The filing-folios, Fig. 3, consist each of a sheet of stout and durable paper, such as will not break in folding nor tear in handling, folded in one fold, as represented, and ornamented in any desired style. These folios D are of a size to fit loosely in the above-dc scribed case, as shown in Fig. 2, where a set of them is represented in place.

Under a system of alphabetical indexing,

I attach to the inner side of the lid or cover B an index, 0, which shows the letters of the alphabet arranged in a vertical column extending from the top to the bottom of the cover, as represented. There should be a number of folios corresponding to the num ber of lines of the letters, and each folio has on its back a mark or color-band, 0, so located as to bring it into a horizontal line with the letter or letters of the index, as seen in Fig. 2. To further index the folios I print or mark upon each, preferably just above the color mark or band and upon the margin of the folio, the letter or letters of the index which are in a horizontal line with said color-mark. This lettering of the folios is shown in Fig. 3 at c, and in Fig. 2, where the folio His partially withdrawn.

By this system of indexing it is not necessary that the folios should occupy any fixed position in the case relatively to each other. They may be placed indiscriminately in the case without interfering with the system of indexing, for the color-mark of each folio will always be in a line with its index letter or letters on the lid of the case.

In practice, the papers to be filed are placed loose in their respective folios, which latter are then inserted in the case; and to withdraw any folio desired, say, for instance, the folio H, containing a letter from Mr. H it is only necessary to glance from the letter If on the index in a horizontal line to the color-mark which is in line with said letter. Such mark will indicate the desired folio. This can be done instantaneously, and the folio can be removed with its contents without disturbing or removing any of the others. The same operation is performed when it is desired to file letter or otherpaper.

While I have illustrated only an alphabetical indexing, still the same system may be used with numbers, words, or characters in the place of the index 0; and while I have represented the case as solid and of peculiar construction, it may be made flexible and of any proper shape or material desired.

When the folios of any of the above cases are filled they may be removed in a set and placed in the case F, Figs. 4 and 5, for permanent filing. This latter case I designate a transfer-file, and it may be any box or case of proper size to snugly epvelop a set of filled folios. As shown in Fig; 5, its back is marked to designate its contents, and it is then filed away for future reference.

After removing a set of filled folies from the first-described case it is refilled with a set of fresh and clean foil. the same operation is repeated.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination, with an enveloping-case and its contained disconnected folios, having marks or color-bands upon their exposed backs, arranged in varying horizontal planes, of an index, suitably attached to said case, and arranged in a substantially-vertical column, whereby any character, figure, or letter of the index is always on a horizontal line with the color mark or band of its correspondingly-marked folio, as and for the purpose specified.

Witness my hand this 20th day of June, A. D. 1879.

GEO. V. NAUERTH.

WVitnesses:

GnAs. M. PEoK, WM. 0. THOMPSON. 

